Obscure Kingdom
by KP9000
Summary: A classic Nintendo franchise seen in a different view. Mario takes an unexpected turn of events and finds himself in a world far different from the usual pipe fitting.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

My mother bought me a Nintendo at a very early age. Because I was so young, this allowed me to develop differently than most kids, because it was a form of entertainment that most of the other kids didn't have. I grew up with Nintendo, and have always pondered what it was like to be inside these games. Being a child, an imagination like this was normal, but these games let me use it in a different way.

While progressing through my teen years, I had outgrown these childish thoughts and started to focus my thoughts on other teenage things, like dirt bikes, sports cars, and girls. I still played video games, but not as seriously as I had in my early childhood. Once I became an adult, I started to go back in thought to my childhood. That imagination that I had developed had become strong, because of the development that I had. I started to ponder once again about my video games, and what it would be like to see these things in the real world.

The Mario Bros. stuck straight out in my mind. I soon started to picture this world in a horror reality. Giant flying turtles, hideous walking fungus, and mushroom steroids inhabited this world. I had all these ideas rush into my mind all at once, so I had to write them down. What is written ahead is the result of a colorful childhood imagination taken over by the reality of an adult's developed mind.

**Chapter One**

It is July, and an ice cold rain has deluged the bustling, polluted city of Brooklyn. You'd know if you lived there that rainfall so debilitating is unusual that time of year. That particular day, Mario had to toil in the under workings of the city. The old pipes had contracted so quickly because of the drastic change in temperature that a few of them had given to the pressure.

He stood there waist deep in the ice cold runoff with his wrench in one hand, while he checked his legs with his other to see if they were still there. He had cuts on his hands, but they were not bleeding because of the bitter cold. He found many times that it was hard to keep himself standing. The only pleasure that was found was the moments where he had put downwards torque on the bolts that lifted weight from his legs. Minutes before he was to leave back to headquarters, he thought about his life back at his apartment and how he longed to be there in the warmth with his princess. He then took a second and stood there to think about how unusual this cold rain is.

Suddenly, in his delusion of thought, the pipe he was working on ruptured into a deadly spray of shrapnel and sewage water. A fairly large chunk of metal hit him in the head, just above his left ear. His vision faded into darkness as he thought he saw a swirl of deep warm colors racing towards him before he finally blacked out.

In Mario's state of unconsciousness, he encountered a dream which was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He couldn't even begin to describe or comprehend it. He was looking at an incomplete image of his own world, the one he loved so much, despite his afflictions therein. So incomplete, that he was barely able to recognize the people. Everything else was a blur of blinding bright light.

The crimson-headed, battered and torn man opened his eyes. Painfully, he tried to look around, but could only see a blur of white. He realized he was lying down in a bed, with sounds of machines giving steady beeps which rang loudly in his ears. He tried to sit up, but failed. Then, trying a second time, he tried with all his might to recover himself from his horizontal state. He made it, and by that time, he started to see the distinct details of the room that he was in. He sluggishly realized that he was in a hospital room filled with monitors and cables. He glanced back down at the bed he once fully occupied and beheld a bloody pillow. He then remembered what had happened to him and also was brought to a remembrance of his awful pain that torments his skull. He stood up off of the bed and stumbled over to a drawer with dressings and bandages. After poorly wrapping his wound, he picked up his hat (which was lying on the bloody pillow) and put it on. He then opened the door to his room and looked toward one of the desks, when he found nobody there. He looked around, down the hallway to the right, and only saw abandoned beds and mobile machines. The only sounds that were heard came from the equipment from his room.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Standing there dumbstruck in the doorway, Mario thought about the possibility that he is still dreaming. In an effort to test this, he decided to go back into his room and run his sliced hands under some scalding water. But when he brought himself about, he faced a wall of blinding white light again, which faded into a wilderness, dry and arid. It was a thin forest, choked with the rancid smell of fungus and unknown towering woods which no longer brought forth greens. More light came from the corner of his eyes, and as Mario spun around to investigate, he beheld the same environment. After taking another glance at his surroundings, a voice echoed into his thoughts.

"So real, yet so incogitable. In this existence, explanation has no meaning. Reality is chaos. Yet we still await rest."

Upon hearing this, Mario frantically searched for the owner of this unknown, soft voice. He gazed upon the dead treetops, then downward to the ground amongst the fungus. Suddenly, the voice came back to sound.

"You will not find this identity here. The caps shall light the way."

Mario was about to speak, when immediately, two perpendicular rows of fungi slowly illuminated; a dull green pulsating glow that Mario somehow knew to follow. Starting off in his unknown journey, he paced along the desiccated soil trying not to crush the unlit toadstools with his grease-caked boots. After walking what seemed like hours, Mario started to notice a smell that was different from the usual mushroom. As Mario was striding along the pathway, he was tackled what seemed like from out of nowhere by a hard shelled aerial beetle, about the size of a small dog. He fell upon the fungi, fighting the giant insect that was latched onto his shoulder. The pointy legs dug into his skin; past his soiled overalls and red company t-shirt. Grabbing for his wrench, he tried at the same time to keep the insect from biting him. Finally, with his wrench in hand, he gave the bug a whack on the shiny deep crimson shell, stunning it. He let go of the wrench and pulled the attacker off of his shoulder, ripping his skin with its bristled legs in the process. As it lay on the ground capsized, Mario retook his wrench and jammed it deep into the foul insect's soft belly. After wiping off the entrails, Mario rejoined it to his holster on his belt. Scratching the bloody and itchy skin on his right shoulder, he continued his journey down the lit pathway.

Another hour of torturous walking went by when Mario drew his attention up from the ground to behold a small housing of curious workmanship, built from cement and dry timbers from surrounding areas. It was about a five minute walk to get there, but it seemed like an eternity. After dragging himself up to the door, he pushed it open and looked upon a wooden bench up against the cement wall. He laid himself upon this hard bench and was about to black out from exhaustion when a short being turned the corner into the room. It was about 3 feet tall, taking an aged, round form. It was humanoid, an elder life form, lacking in youth. It didn't seem hostile, notwithstanding the environment that has already manifested itself to be. It held a small mushroom in its stubby rough hands. It seemed to glow with the familiar green that Mario has familiarized himself with for the past few hours. Mario made the connection. This is the origin of that voice. Mario then uttered a weak chain of words;

"I've got some questions for you."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Please fogive me for my much speaking in riddles. This world has become too dangerous to speak freely amongst ourselves."

Mario, who was still weak with fatigue and shocked with awe, sat upright on the bench, frustrated.

"You bring me here to this... place, and drag me all the way to your little cottage dream house, to be attacked by a huge cockroach along your mushroom road, and your first words you say to me in person is an apology? How about you tell me what the heck is going on?"

After venting his anger somewhat, Mario became lightheaded; he was barely able to keep himself conscious to hear the strange being's response.

"I will explain to you after you receive rest. First, your wounds and ailments must be cared for. That beetle you encountered on your journey was very poisonous. It's a wonder you have lasted this long."

"But it didn't bite me." Mario exclaimed.

"Its legs excrete a powerful liquid that can incapacitate any opposition."

"That would explain why I can't feel my shoulder. And, I suppose you have an antidote?" Mario asked, then realized that it knew about his scuffle with the insect. Right before its response, Mario started to speak again. "How did you--"

"As I said, I will explain, but only after your rest. You are not prepared physically at this moment." Interrupted the humanoid fungus. "Let me go get the remedy."

After leaving the room back the way it came, it soon returned with a small heart, the size of a golf ball, that replaced the mushroom that occupied its hands.

"Eat this. It will heal your afflictions and neutralize the venom."

"A heart? Where, or what, did this come from?" Mario asked, taking the dry, rubbery heart into his hands.

"Some things are better left unsaid. Just remember, it is only for your benefit."

Mario, heart in hand, looked up at his apparent caretaker, then back down at the heart. He then took a little nibble. He chewed it for a couple of seconds then swallowed, barely able to keep it down. Reluctantly, he continued to take small bites of it, each bite harder to endure than the last. Finally, it was completely gone, his hand and mouth somewhat numb from contact with the heart. It made him feel sleepy, even moreso than he was at present.

"You didn't tell me that this would put me to sleep."

"Some things are better left unsaid." Repeated the dwarfed thing.

Mario soon lost control of his body and slid down the bench into a laying position; slipping into a world of slumber without dreams.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Just as soon as Mario realized that he fell asleep, he awoke again. There were no memories of the past 30 hours of slumber. Dreamless. Nothingness. All during this time, his wounds were healed, but most of the pain remained. As he sat up, he looked to the crusty, cracked walls of the shelter, then to the floor, which had been only hardened soil with strands of dead crabgrass packed to the surface. It was then he noticed a wooden tray that lay next to the bench that he rested upon that had an intricate vase of water and a loaf of bread that rested on top of it. As soon as Mario saw this, his body remembered how fatigued it was from the journey and the exceedingly long period of slumber that Mario had endured.

After Mario finished his first meal in days, the familiar being appeared from around the corner once again.

"You ready to talk?" Demanded Mario, who was angry with the glorious lack of information about everything that had happened. "And do you have a name?"

"You may call me Grey." Spoke the foul-odored mushroom. "The reason I know about you is quite simple. Ages ago, my ancestors did not possess the gift of mobility like unto me this present day. They were very primitive, but led very happy lives. They lived in their thoughts, which they could share with each other telepathically. But times changed, and soon the land began to become dry and desolate. Many of them died off, but some shed their roots and grew limbs to walk upon the soil with. Many of these did not survive the process, while others had carried the lands' ailments with them and became a horrible twisted form of painful corruption. There were a very small number of them who survived the transition to this bipedal state. As time went on, we were forced to search and forage for food rather than gather nutrients from the ground. Though the land was very arid, we were able to have much success in finding and producing food for ourselves because of our telepathic ability that we had retained."

"...A telepath?"

"That is correct. When you were hit by that metal debris, you were thrown violently into a state of helplessness, a rare state that most humans don't survive. This state is the window of oppurtunity for me to extract memories and manipulate their state of existance from their world into ours."

"So, what happens to me in MY world? Am I dead?"

"You no longer exist in that world."

"...you mean, I'm just... gone?" Mario asked, with great and heavy sorrow. "All of my memories are a lie? Like I never lived my life?"

"Your life up to the moment I brought you here has been real. Even that certian final memory of your brother."

"...My brother..." replied Mario, wallowing deeply in his memories. "He died in a plane crash sixteen years ago, just outside the San Francisco Bay area. Him and the two pilots weren't even found."

Mario, thinking to himself, couldn't bear that this memory still exists inside him, and that it had still happened. He would have given everything to prevent this from occuring. Even his own life. But notwithstanding his heavy mournings, his face still looked the same. Always projecting a blunt expression, no matter who was around.

"So... you feel it too?" asked Mario, who looked up at Grey, looking for someone to understand him.

Grey repositioned his stance, and soon replied. "I cannot feel others' emotions. My telepathy is restricted to thoughts only. Though we can feel emotional for others' thoughts, those emotions are our own and not emotions projected telepathically." Grey then look down to the ground, his feelings somewhat troubled him. He knew something that Mario doesn't.

"Mario, your brother... he lives."

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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

There were three memories that trickled to consiousness as soon as Mario heard those words. The first had been a random memory from childhood; childishly fighting over a Sacajawea dollar that was found in the brickyard. The second was in Mario's prime, where he had broken his leg playing 1-on-1 with his brother. The final comes to mind years later when Mario had seen his sibling last. Luigi had slammed the door in Mario's face after a simple argument. Mario had remembered every feature on that angry head; from the simple black mustache to those dark green eyes which gave the most unpleasant look at the time. Mario cherished this final memory he had of Luigi. There was immense pain and regret to think that this is the way that Mario acted; not knowing this is the final contact that he would ever have with his own flesh and blood.

Soon, Mario came out of a trance seconds later after Grey's last statement, only to realize that the last memory Mario had had of his brother was the one that Grey had witnessed.

"Luigi... he's alive?" Asked Mario with full intent on finding him. "I must know where he is."

Grey replied with sadness. "I brought him here into this world when he supposedly died that day. However, he has fallen into the hands of our enemies. His whereabouts are unknown."

Mario had almost fallen to the ground in disbelief. "Why do you toy with me like this?"

Grey tried to comfort Mario. "Your brother is still alive. I can sense his presence, but this is all. If you wish to recover him, you must go to the Encampment of Corruption."

"With just my fists?" Questioned Mario, who was determined to go, though challenged by his lack of weaponry. "Do you have something else around that corner that can help me out?"

The mushroom shook his head. "I have nothing else that may be of assistance to you. However, there are some things along the way. Head west towards the Encampment and you will find a thick tall tree. At the base of that tree, there is an oddly colored patch of soil. It will be up to you to figure things out from there. If we see each other again, I will tell you more about this land."

Mario felt more confident than ever, aside from Grey's last statement. Mario was determined to find and solve the mystery if he hopes to survive, and if he hopes to save Luigi. As he prepared himself for his perilous journey, he thought to himself. Thoughts of uncertianty and uncontrollable amounts of fear rolled through his mind. "How am I supposed to take in all this information from a crazy mushroom?" He thought. "I'd do anything for my brother... though I didn't think I'd be doing this."

Mario, finally ready for his journey, gave a salute to the stunted fungus and started off heading west. He looked on, then around his person, then up at the sky. Colored a brown-stained green, he saw no sun, yet it was as bright as dusk. Mist and dust choked the poorly lit atmosphere. His healed wounds no longer brought forth pain, and all that was left was ripped, blood-stained clothing. As he walked, he continued contemplating what was taking place before him.

Before he knew it, Mario had already traveled the length of 8 miles. Being from Brooklyn, and not able to afford a personal vehicle, walking was natural to him. However, fatigue was beginning to set in. After another four miles or so, Mario stopped and looked up from the water depravated desert. Among the light mist, he spotted a pointy object towering into the sky. As he got closer, he realized that this was the huge tree that was mentioned.

As he corrected his direction, he came upon a strange mound in the ground, which changed a deep crimson color on the surface towards the top. Earth covered the thing halfway up the side, which was bare and had a thorny surface. It was round and bulged about 3 feet from the surface. Judging from his environment, Mario tried to steer clear of the potentially dangerous situation. His efforts were in vain as he passed to the left. The bulge exploded into motion, throwing forth a giant cloud of dust. Harsh screams bellowed from the center of the dust cloud. Before the dust could settle, a large, four-legged creature charged Mario. He was able to dodge, and prepare for what has come next. He noticed it had a neck that curved forward and a beak that could crush just about anything. As it began to approach, he palmed his wrench. When it neared, he swiftly parried the attack, smacking the thing on its hard back. Immediately, the massive quadriped stopped and pulled the wrench out of Mario's hands, chopping the one inch shaft of steel in two. He knew then that he needed a different strategy. After nimbly dodging a couple more charges, Mario made his way to a rocky hill where he hopes he could gain the advantage. Foolishly, the thing followed, where it was hit by a barrage of rocks and was sent flying down the hill. It had retreated to its impenetrable shell, no longer a threat to Mario. He climbed down from the pile of boulders and continued on, leaving the wrench he once was able to weild.

Upon arriving to the towering wood, he inspected the ground at the base. He quickly found a discolored patch of soil. He then wondered what to do about this, seeing as something was definitely strange about this place. He decided to rest, and think upon it. He found a good place to sit, in between two roots, where the surrounding soil has become soft. After a good hour, he finally had a feasible solution to the problem at hand.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The idea that came to his mind was rather an itch to experiment, since all Mario had been doing was thinking in his own worldly ways and getting nowhere fast. This time, his thought was a bit more outside of the box, which box was existing in this world's physics.

Mario stood up, picked up a palm-sized rock, and walked over to the oddly-colored patch of soil. Standing on top of it, he hurled the rock upwards as hard as he could. The rock shot through the air and instantly hit an object that didn't seem to be there before. The strange colored soil now turned into a shadow, which Mario ignored. His focus was on the object, which was now falling out of the sky. As soon as it hit the dirt, he walked over to it and stole a closer look. It was a box, which seemed intricately carved by a race with too much time on their hands. Its designs were an enigma to him, which was teasing at his curiosity as to what was inside.

The box had a ball on each of its vertices, which Mario had assumed were the hinges. He put his fingers on four of the hinges which activated the opening mechanism. He peered inside, only to behold a single white glove. He pulled out the glove and noticed a ring of blue stitches around the pointer finger. As his hand was in contact with the glove, he had the strong urge to move it. He slid the glove onto his right hand, and immediately his arm was filled with what felt like unstoppable strength.

Mario grinned. "What a great plumber's tool," he thought, as he made a fist and faced the towering tree. He pulled back his fist and struck the tree with such a mighty force that his whole arm was buried in the dead wood. Pulling his hand out effortlessly, he unclenched his fist. A very fine powder fell from the hand that once was having trouble turning pipe fittings.

He then struck the ground with this same fist, creating an intense dust cloud. A hole was created that was big enough to put a refridgerator inside. He walked amongst the thick dust and picked up the enigmatic box, which he tossed into the hole. Using his flat right palm, Mario effortlessly scooped soil into the hole, burying the box and filling the pit. After completing this, Mario started to walk west, the direction of the Encampment of Corruption.

Every step was taken in confidence as he made his way to his destination. On his way, he swung his fist and listened to the sound it made as it drilled through the air. He spotted a fimiliar mound in the dirt, very similar to the shelled reptile he encountered in a previous engagement. He smirked as he approached the mound, which immediately awoke from its petrification and charged at Mario. He stopped and assumed a defensive stance as the creature tore its way across the ground. He sidestepped the charge when it drew near enough, and planted a hard jab right in the side of its shell. The force was so great that it caved in and sent the brute flying through the wind. Its long neck spun around and slapped the surface of the land. The rest of its body spun harder as it hit the ground, causing it to break apart in a shower of blood and entrails.

Mario, satisfied with the performance of the glove, bellowed a cry of war as he glared at the organic remains that littered the unforgiving landscape. As he continued west, he walked across the carnage that Mario had created. He picked up a piece of the red shell and examined it. It was sharp and strong. It reminded him of the power of his glove, and also made a good secondary weapon. He tucked it into one of his pockets in his overalls.

An easy five hours of sojourning passed. The glove gave Mario strength and energy to swiftly hike this terrain with ease. The soil turned a darker brown, and Mario had began to see signs of life, in the form of small insects and black grass. The further he walked, the darker the terrain. After scaling a hill, he was able to get a good wide look of his surroundings. Behind him was a brigher landscape, full of remiders of how relentless this world was. He looked forward towards his destination, which didn't look to merciful either. He noticed a small group of black tents, which matched the ground well. The thing that gave it away were small plumes of white smoke billowing from the tops of the shelters thereof. He started towards it, assuming it was the Encampment of Corruption that Grey had spoken of. As he walked, he noticed the sky was losing its color, fading away into a dull dark grey. It only told Mario that things were about to get much more extreme.

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End file.
